Device for training and instruction in the firing of small arms



Deu:` 10, 1935. w. TRAMMELL 2,023,497

DEVICE FOR TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION IN THE FIRING OF SMALL ARMS Filed June 1l, 1932 mi @Q N. 8 2 .I q l g- "s se Si I um Q s 1:/ n v Ez/vendor: Z065?) TawUfZZ E i) 53 para M Patented Dec. 10, 1935 PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION IN THE FIRING OF SMALL ARMS Webb Trammell, United states Navy Application June 11. 1932, Serial No. 616,665

4 Claims.

(Cl. l12A-1) (Granted under the eet ormai-eh s, 1883, as amended Apriiso, 192s; A37o o. G. 751) 'Ihis invention relates to devices for training and instruction in the ring of small arms, and has for its object Vto provide means to produce a moving target and a gun to be fired at the target having means to indicate the point at .which the gun was aimed at the time the trigger was pulled and also will simulate the recoil resulting when a gun is actualy fired.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be described more fully hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows the construction of my gun;

Fig. 2 represents diagrammatically the relative positions of gun, target, and means for producing an image representing the point of aim;

Fig. 3 shows a modified form of gun construction according to my invention.

In the early stages of training in the ring of small arms inaccuracy of shooting at a moving target is usually due to failure to lead the target, i. e., to aim a suicient distance ahead of the target to allow for the movement thereof during the time of flight of the projectile to the path followed by the target. Another source of inaccuracy is the tendency of a person inexperienced in firing to Iiinch at the recoil or aniticipating the recoil and thus throw the gun out of the line of sight before the bullet has left the barrel. My invention is designed to give experience in firing that will obviate both of the above-mentioned diiiiculties without the expenditure of large quantities of expensive ammunition.

The gun comprises a barrel 4 having in it a lamp 5 and a lens 6 to concentrate the rays from lamp 5 into a beam of restricted cross section and project that beam' along the path that would be followed by a bullet red from the barrel. The lamp and lens may be mounted in a cartridge 1 that is adapted to be inserted into the barrel, or they may be otherwise fixed inthe barrel, if desired. When trigger 8 is pulled, it actuates a switch 9 that closes a circuit through battery I0 or other source of electric current and the lamp 5 is lighted, the beam being projected toward the point at which the gun is aimed..

In the end of the gun stock II is a. movable butt-plate I2 having connected to it a cylindrical portion I3 that is reduced to form a shoulder I@ and is provided with a ange I5 at its forwardend. The reduced portion is disposed in a cylindrical sleeve I6 in the butt, the sleeve having an inturned flange Il at its rear end. A spring I8 under suitable compression is mounted on por-v tion I3 between flanges I5 and I'I to keep the butt-plate normally housed in the recess in the stock provided therefor.

A plunger I 9 having a flange 20 at its rear end is mounted in sleeve I6 forwardly of member I3. 5 A coiled spring 2| disposed aroundplunger I9 is confined between ange and an annular spring abutment 22 fixed inside sleeve I6. At the forward end of the plunger is a hook 23 adapted to engage hook 24 on one limb of bell crank lever 10 25 pivotally mounted on sleeve I6 at 26, the other en'd of the lever being pivotally connected to a longitudinally slidable push rod 21 whereof the free end is disposed to be contacted by trigger 8 when the trigger is pulled. Pulling the trigger 15 not only causes lamp 5 to flash but moves push rod 21 back and disengages hooks 23 and 24 lwhich permits spring 2| to drive plunger I9 back against the forward end of portion I3 and impact the movable butt-plate I2 against the shoulder 20 of the person ring the'gun. The strength of spring 2I is so regulated that the blow delivered by the butt-plate is approximately equal to that due to the recoil of a high-power rifle or shot gun. Plunger I9 is moved forward to re-engage 25 hooks 23 and 24 by means of a rod pushed against the plunger through the passage 29 formed in butt-plate I2. The small lever 29 connected to bell crank lever 25 may be moved by a suitable tool inserted through aperture 30 to cause hook 30 24 to engage hook 23 or a spring may be provided to move the push rod 21 forward immediately after Hiring.

Fig. 3 shows a form of gun in which the recoil-v simulating blow is imparted to butt-plate I2 by 35 a plunger 3| actuated by a mechanism similar to that of mechanically operated percussive tools. Electrically driven means 32 are shown in Fig. 3 for actuating plunger3l, but compressed air may be used therefor when available, if desired.

A mechanically driven projector 33 throws upon screen 36 a spot of light 34 that is used as the target. The driving mechanism may be set to cause the target to move at different u'niform speeds. A second spot of light 35` is thrown 45 by projector 33 ahead of target 34 in the direction of its movement a distance equal to the lead required for the speed at which the target is moving.

The method of using my invention is as follows: y

The person ring takes position near the projector as in trap shooting.l The one operating projector 33 sets the mechanism for the desired speed and angle of ght of the target and the position of the lead spot 35 relatively to the target, in accordance with the assumed speed 'and relative direction of a live target that target 34 represents. When the one firing gives the word, the projector operator starts the projector moving, immediately after which a contact is made that causes the target to appear in flight across the screen. The person firing aims and pulls the trigger and a spot of light from gun 31 is thrown upon screen 35 at the point at which the gun was aimed. An observer notes whether it was a hit or a. miss and the direction and magnitude of deviation of the shot from the target. Since the light reaches the screen practically instantaneously, the shot should strike iead spot 35. Inaccuracies in pointing and inching can thereby be detected. After sucient practice, the lead spot 35 is dimmed and the shooter must estimate the lead for himself. 'I'he room in which the training is done should be sufciently darkened to make the spots of light on screen 36 plainly visible.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawing comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of my invention, and that various changes in construction, proportion and arrangementof parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a gun having a stock, a trigger and a barrel, a movable butt-plate seated in a recess inv saidA stock, said butt-plate having a forwardly extending cylindrical portion, said portion being reduced through a part of its length and having a flange at its forward end, a compressed spring around said reduced pai't, there being a passage through said butt-plate and said cylindrical portion, a cylindrical sleeve in which said cylindrical portion is slidable and having an inwardly turned ange at its rear end abutting the rear end of' said spring, a plunger slidably disposed in said sleeve forwardly of said cylindrical portion, a flange on the rearend of said plunger, an annular spring abutment in said sleeve, a spring around said plunger between said abutment and said ange on the plunger, a hook carried by the forward end of said plunger, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on the forward end of said sleeve, one limb of said lever having a hook engageable by said hook on said plunger, and'a slidably mounted push rod pivotally connected to the end of the other limb of said lever and having its free end disposed to be contacted by said trigger when the trigger 'Ls pulled whereby the said hooks are disengaged and said plunger is free to be driven by said second mentioned spring back against said cylindrical portion to move said butt-plate outwardly.

2. In a device ofthe class described, a gun comprising a barrel, a stock, a trigger, a movable butt-plate normally seated in a recess in said stock, said plate having a forwardly extending cylindrical portion reduced for a portion of its length, there being a passage through said plate and said portion, a ange on the forward end of said portion, a sleeve in said stock in which said portion is slidable, an inwardly extending ange at the rear end of said sleeve, a spring under compression disposed between the ange on said cylindrical portion and the flange in said sleeve, a plunger slidably mounted in said sleeve, a flange on the rear end of said plunger, an annular spring plunger, and a push rod pivotally connected'- to the other limb of said lever, the free end of said rod being disposed to,b e contacted by said trigger to disengage said hooks and permit said plunger tobe driven back against said cylin-y drical portion by the second mentioned spring.

3. In a device of the class described, a gun comprising a stock, atrigger, a movable butt-plate normally seatedin a recess in said stock and having a forwardly extending portion reduced for a part. of its length, a ange at the forward end of said portion, a sleeve in said stock in which said portion is slidable, an inwardly extending flange at the rear end of said sleeve, expansive resilient means between said flange on said portion and the ange in said sleeve, a plunger /in said 1 sleeve forwardly of said portion, a flange on the rear end of said plunger, an abutment in said sleeve, expansive" resilient means between said abutment and the flange on said plunger, a hook carried by the forward end of said plunger, means to engage said hook to hold said plunger in a forward position, and means actuatable by said trigger to disengage said means from said hook to permit said plunger to be driven back against said portion by said second mentioned expansible resilient means.

4. In a device of the class described, a gun including a, stock and a trigger, a movable'buttplate normally seated in a recess in said stock and having a forwardly projecting portion, resilient means to hold said plate seated in said recess, and percussive means actuatable by said trigger to unseat said plate to produce a recoil-simulating shock.

WEBB TRAMMZEIL. 

